CPSC Warns - Never Use Charcoal Grills Indoors

Release date:
January 15, 1999

Release number:
99-051

Release Details

Across the U.S. this winter, snow and ice storms have caused the loss of electrical power to hundreds of thousands of homes. Because of this, some people could be tempted to use a charcoal grill indoors. This can be a deadly mistake, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Each year, there are about 20 deaths from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning and about 400 emergency room treated injuries from CO poisoning resulting from charcoal grills. Charcoal produces CO when burned. CO is a colorless, odorless gas that can accumulate to toxic levels in closed environments. To reduce these CO poisonings, CPSC is offering the following safety tips:

- Never burn charcoal inside of homes, vehicles, tents, or campers. Charcoal should never be used indoors, even if ventilation is provided.

- Since charcoal produces CO fumes until the charcoal is completely extinguished, do not store the grill indoors with freshly used coals.

In April 1996, CPSC revised the label on charcoal packaging to more explicitly warn consumers of the deadly CO gas that is released when charcoal is burned in a closed environment. The new label reads, "WARNING...CARBON MONOXIDE HAZARD...Burning charcoal inside can kill you. It gives off carbon monoxide, which has no odor. NEVER burn charcoal inside homes, vehicles or tents." The new label also conveys the written warning visually with drawings. The new label requirement became mandatory on all packages of charcoal filled on or after November 1997.

CPSC also recommends that every home should have at least one CO alarm that meets the requirements of the most recent Underwriters Laboratories 2034 standard or International Approval Services 6-96 standard.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of
thousands of types of consumer products under the agency’s jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the
nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical or
mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to help ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters and household
chemicals -– contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 40 years.

Federal law bars any person from selling products subject to a publicly-announced voluntary recall by a manufacturer or a mandatory recall ordered by the
Commission.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury go online to www.SaferProducts.gov or call CPSC's Hotline at 800-638-2772 or teletypewriter at
301-595-7054 for the hearing impaired. Consumers can obtain news release and recall information at www.cpsc.gov, on Twitter @USCPSC or by subscribing
to CPSC's free e-mail newsletters.

You are about to leave the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) public website.

The link you selected is for a destination outside of the Federal Government. CPSC does not control this external site or its privacy policy and cannot attest to the accuracy of the information it contains. You may wish to review the privacy policy of the external site as its information collection practices may differ from ours. Linking to this external site does not constitute an endorsement of the site or the information it contains by CPSC or any of its employees.

Click Ok if you wish to continue to the website; otherwise, click Cancel to return to our site.